Lady Vega
by TVMB19
Summary: Set in the early 1900's. Lady Victoria Vega has the perfect life. She is wealthy, well-educated and beautiful. But she finds herself becoming more and more bored, until a thunderbolt enters her life in form of Beck Oliver. As a poor man, Beck has nothing to offer her, but there must be a reason she can't stop thinking about him...Bori romance inside. I don't own anything Victorious
1. Meeting

Lady Vega

 **OK, so this story is all set in the early 1900's. It's mainly Bori romance, but I'll add in other character's later on.**

 **I don't own anything Victorous.**

Chapter 1

Victoria Vega ran happily along the edge of the canyon, chasing the beautiful butterfly that had caught her attention. No one else was around, and she again complimented herself on her sly escape from her father's estate. She looked at the town in the distance, wondering why her parents forbade her from going there.

"You are only seven, Victoria" she recalled her mother saying when she had brought up the subject, "And you are a Vega. You can't be seen down there with _those_ people."

Those people? What had her mother meant by that? Tori had walked through the village, and spotted no difference between herself and the people she had seen. So, what did she mean?

It was then that Tori felt herself drop. The ground she had been standing on had crumbled she lost her footing completely. She barely had a moment to scream before she was falling over the edge of the cliff. Tori instinctively grabbed the edge, her entire body hanging over the deep canyon below. She slammed into the cliff face, and felt a piercing pain in her right knee. She had cut it on the sharp rocks of the cliff. Tori breathed heavily, her eyes wide with terror and flooded with tears. She screamed again when she felt her grip slipping. Then she lost her grip completely.

But she didn't fall. She felt a hard hand gripping her wrist, and the Sun, which was shining so brilliantly a few moments ago was being blocked out by something. Tori looked up at the figure of the hero who had saved her life.

Above her, she observed a young boy, around her age, with long, messy brown hair. His face was screwed up with the effort of holding her up. He gritted his teeth, and swung his other arm over the edge, grabbing her wrist with both hands. Tori felt something drip on her face from above, but thought nothing of it. With a groan of pure effort, the boy began to pull. Tori felt herself being lifted upwards, and eventually she felt her body hit the solid ground again.

Tori breathed heavily, trying to regain some form of composure after her terrifying ordeal. She eventually looked up at her saviour. He was sat with his knees bent and his hands on the ground behind him, panting heavily.

"Are you OK?" he asked, concern etched on every inch of his face. Tori nodded, and noticed the jagged cut on the bottom of the boys chin as he leaned back. It must have been the jagged rocks on the cliff edge when he lent over to pick her up. And sure enough, she glanced over at the rocks on the cliff edge, and saw the red drops of blood which stained them. She touched her face. It was his blood that had dripped on her before.

"Oh" said the boy, "I'm sorry." From the pockets of his too-small pants, he drew out a tissue, and offered it to her. She hesitated, and gave the boy a once over. He wore a dirty shirt which was both too big for him and covered in holes and stains. He looked like a beggar, one of those her mother had warned her about. But he had just saved her life. She slowly reached out a shaking hand and took the tissue, dabbing the blood from her face.

"Thank you" she mumbled quietly. The boy's face split into a goofy grin, and he got to his feet.

"That's OK" he said, unsuccessfully trying to dust off the dirt from his pants. Tori tried to get to her feet, but screamed as the pain in her knee returned in its entirety. She crumpled to the ground and immediately began crying. The boy was by her side in a moment.

"It's OK" he said, lamely. "I have an idea." He turned around so that he was facing away from her. "Put your arms around my neck" he said. And in moments he stood up, carrying her on piggyback towards the village.

* * *

It was nearly an hour before he reached the village, and he was panting heavily by the time he arrived at the town entrance. He ignored the questioning stares he got as he walked the girl through the marketplace. He stopped at the nearby stall and asked the man for some water.

"That will be ten pence" said the man, pouring the water into a cup. The boy checked his pocket. Ten pence was all he had-his entire pocket money for the month. He looked at the girl on his back. She had stopped crying but had remained silent afterwards, only staring down at the road.

He handed the man the ten pence, and collected the cup of water. He set the girl down on a barrel, welcoming the relief of having her off of his back. He offered her the cup of water, which she took with shaking hands. She sipped the water, still silent.

"Feeling better?" asked the boy.

"Yes, thank you" she replied, grateful for the water.

"My Lady!" The shrill screech made him jump, and he turned around to see a elderly man running at surprising speed through the crowd. The man stopped in front of him, gave him a distasteful look, and heaved the girl off of his back and into her arms. "What has happened to you?" he screamed, beside himself with concern.

"She-"

"You" the man thundered, "Get out of here at once. Get away from her!" the man shouted at him. He looked at the girl again, who was staring at him with wide eyes. She would be OK now. He nodded at the man, turned, and walked away.

Over the next few days, the young boy did not see or hear anything about the strange girl or the incident. He only heard rumours of some wealthy family moving away from the area, but he never thought the two were linked in any way.

And so went the first meeting of Beck Oliver and Victoria Vega.


	2. Introduction

**_My second chapter._ _After the drama of the first one, this one is kind of chilled in comparsion. Hope you like it!_**

 _Ten Years Later_

Lady Victoria Vega sat in her father's study, writing her stories. Lord David Vega would not be home for hours, so she had enough time to finish at least one more chapter in her story. A quiet knock on the door of the study startled her, and she hurriedly hid the parchment containing stories beneath the endless mountains of her father's paperwork.

A head with long red hair popped out from behind the slightly open oak-wood door. Tori recognised the face. Catherina Valentine, one of the many servants on her father's estate.

"Lady Vega?" she asked meekly. Victoria smiled and gestured to her to come inside, "Your mother is summoning you for dinner" Cat smiled politely.

"OK, Cat. Thank you, I'll be down in a moment" said Victoria with a warm smile. Cat returned the smile, and curtseyed before leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

Victoria continued to smile. Of all the servants who served on her father's estate, Cat was her favourite. Although she was sometimes slightly odd, she was always good natured and never failed to make Victoria smile. Tori liked her immensely. She got up, packed up her stories, and carried them to her room. She pulled out the old music box her father had gotten her for her fourteenth birthday. She had loved the music it used to play, unil it had fallen off of her bedside table and broken. Now it served as a hiding place for her stories. It was a necessary act. God forbid a woman in this day and age would be allowed to explore her own imagination! Tori knew this well, and so, had made the decision to hide her stories from her parents. Besides her, only Cat knew of their exsistance.

* * *

"Victoria" her mother, Holly Vega, smiled as she walked down the large double staircase for dinner. "How are you, dear?"

"Fine, mother" she smiled back, bowing her head a little. Her mother was a stickler for etiquette and manners.

"Come. We must eat; the hour is late already" said her mother, leading her by the arm to their overly large dining room. She sighed heavily as she entered the room she had been in too many times already. There was a large dining table that was used whenever they held the dreadfully boring dinner parties that they so often held. The gigantic oil paintings of old presidents and monarchs adorned the walls. Victoria remembered the way she had marvelled at the immense size of the paintings when her father had first gotten them years ago.

"Victoria" Her mother's voice dragged her from her thoughts. She sat down beside her mother on their overly large table, and waited for the first course to be served. And, as though on cue, the servants, led by the head butler, Robert Shapiro, filed into the room, carrying the starter course. After the impressive spread was laid out, the servants bowed, and made their exit.

"Yes, mother?" she recovered quickly.

"How is Richard?" her mother asked pleasantly, placing a grape delicately into her mouth. Victoria sighed. Her mother always wanted to know how her relationship with the dignified and wealthy Sir Richard Walter was coming along. Victoria smiled at her mother.

"It's going perfectly well, mother. There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about" she assured her mother. Her relationship with Richard was fine. He was honest and sweet, and undeniably charming. She could not have hoped for a better suitor.

"And when is he due to return from London?" asked her mother, now delicately sipping her red wine.

"Only a few weeks, mother"

"Oh, won't you consider going to visit him, Victoria? I'm sure he misses you terribly" her mother suggested for what felt like the hundredth time. Victoria did miss Richard, but not to the point of travelling great distances to see him.

"No, mother. I do have a life that does not revolve around Richard"

"Hopefully not for much longer" her mother mumbled under her breath. Her not-so-subtle hints at a marriage between Victoria and Richard were becoming more frequent. Nto wishing to spend the rest of the meal on the touchy subject, Victoria decided to change the subject quickly.

"So, how is the estate? Have we found another groundskeeper and stable boy yet?"

"Yes, actually" she smiled, "Your father hired a young man to take up the post. He should get the job done well. He's very young and strong"

"Wonderful" said Victoria, not really listening. She had already zoned out, thinking instead of how best to finish her latest story. A romantic from the time she was young, Victoria's stories always had a happy ending, with her heroine always ending up with her perfect hero, but for whatever reason she struggled to come up with an ending for her current story. She had heard others describe this as "writers block", but she had never suffered it before. Why was she having trouble now?

* * *

When dinner was over, Tori grabbed the music box containing her stories, and set off across the immeasurable grounds of her father's estate. She made her way to the enormous oak tree that stood on the opposite side of the field to her mansion.

She sat down, bracing her back against the trunk of the mighty oak, and pulled out her story. She set down her quill and ink, closed her eyes and thought for a moment. she was determined that her story have a happy ending. Then the sound of a loud thump on the ground behind her caused her to reopen her eyes.

She looked behind her, to see a strange, tall, boy straightening himself upright and smiling kindly at her. The first thing Tori registered was that the boy was his face. He was undeniably handsome. Long brown hair framed a perfectly sculpted face. His strong, imposing jaw was straight and set, and his dark brown eyes stared intently at Tori, cauding her thoughts to abandon her in a moment of insanity.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Miss" he said with a slight smile. "My name is Beck. Beck Oliver. I'm the new groundskeeper and stable boy" he announced with pride in his voice. Obviously, he was delighted with his new role and was keen on telling the world. Tori, on the other hand, found her voice failing her for the first time in years.

"U-um" she stuttered, "M-My name is Victoria. Victoria Vega. It's a pleasure to meet you" She complimented herself on recovering so well. The years of ingrained civility had clearly not been wasted on her. Her mother would be proud. Calm under duress was something that she strongly believed in. The boy's eyes widened at the mention of her name.

"Oh" he said, frowning in worry, "Lady Vega. I'm so sorry to make my first introduction like this. I hope you won't think less of me because of it" he said, bowing slightly. Victoria laughed at his overdone politeness. At the laugh, he raised his head, and shot her a bright grin, realising that he had been over-acting.

"It's OK" said Tori, "You can relax. I don't have the power to fire you" It was Beck's turn to laugh, and Tori was stunned by the sound. There was something odd about it. Something familiar. But she had never met this man before in her life. Tori stood up, dusting any dirt from her dress, in an attempt to look at least half-decent.

"Am I so transparent?" he asked happily. "I suppose I might have overdone it a little" he said fairly, more to himself than to Tori.

"Well, my parents wouldn't think so. My mother especially, but I don't share the same line of thought as they do on this particular subject."

"Oh? And your thoughts?"

"I would prefer that my servants were honest. And that they were themselves around me. It's very tiring trying to figure out what someone is really thinking behind a polite exterior" she commented. And it was too true. Throughout her life, she had encountered countless people who had some plan or other for her father's estate, but hid their intentions behind polite smiles and charming gestures.

"Then I will do my best to comply" he answered with a nod. But Tori had the feeling that he wasn't taking completely seriously. Nevertherless, she replied.

"Thank you, Mr Oliver" she smiled. She noted the charm which the stranger possessed, one that lay in the air of confidence that surrounded him and his relaxed personality. She recognised it's potency. "What were you dong in the tree?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Climbing" he said simply with a shrug. Tori raised her eyebrows at him, causing Beck to laugh again. "I was getting a better view of the area. I thought if I was going to manage the grounds, I should know exactly what it is I'm dealing with" he answered. Beck looked down at the paper on the ground and he picked it up quickly. "And what were you doing here?" he asked curiously.

Tori reacted almost instinctively, snatching the paper form his hands, fury distorting her features.

"That's private" she hissed. "A gentleman does not take a lady's personal items from her without her permission!"

Beck's smile faded at her sudden change in personality. Tori picked up the rest of equipment and stormed away, leaving a confused Beck standing under the oak.

"Good day, Mr Oliver" she shouted back at him.

Beck recovered, and smiled at the angry girl walking away from him.


	3. The Reason Why

**_Hey guys! Been a few days since I updated. Been very busy! Anyway, here's the new chapter for Lady Vega. It's a bit longer than the last two, but includes some backstory here. Hope you enjoy it!_**

 _The room was dimly lit, with only a few candles serving as the only light source. His mother lay on a bed that took up the majority of the room. He rushed immediately to her side._

" _Mother" he said, stooping low next to her bed. She looked weak, weaker than he had ever seen her. The illness had not gone away, it had only gotten worse and it took it's toll on her. "Can you hear me?" he asked desperately, tears forming in his eyes. He grabbed her hand, gently. "Please" he whispered, pressing his forehead against the bed and praying harder than he had ever prayed before. He heard a low groan, and a sharp intake of breath. Then he felt another hand being placed over his. He looked up suddenly. His mother smiled weakly at him._

" _Beck" she said, looking like him as though he might be a dream. Her eyes were unfocused and dazed._

" _I'm here, mother" he said through tears, "I'm right here"_

" _Good. I'm glad. Listen to me" she croaked, her voice faint and weary, "I won't pretend to be better than I am. This illness isn't getting any better, Beck." At her words, Beck's tears had begun to flow freely. His mother shifted slowly, raising her hands to touch his face. "You truly are a kind child, Beck. No matter what happens...promise me that you will never lose that"_

" _I promise, mother" Beck said, closing his eyes. He had never felt so useless, so weak. The helplessness had turned into despair. What kind of man was he, when he couldn't even protect those closest to him? What good was he, when he couldn't help the ones who needed it? What did that make him?_

 _Then he had made up his mind that he wouldn't accept this. He wouldn't just sit back and wait for this illness to take his mother's life. He wouldn't stand idle while her life slowly faded. He would fight for it. He would take work wherever he could find it, work three or four jobs at one time if he had too, do whatever was required of him, but he would get the money necessary to continue his mother's treatment. Without fail, he would save her._

" _I won't let anything happen to you, mother. I promise you that too" But his mother had already lost consciousness..._

Beck sat alone in the barn, immersed in the memories of his last conversation with his mother. He took a drink of water from the cup in his hand. His father had done his best to supply the money they needed to carry on his mother's treatment in the weeks after she had contracted her illness, but he was old now, and it was difficult for him to find a job. That's when Beck had decided to start working himself. This job was everything to him. He wouldn't lose it, no matter what. He would keep his nose clean and his head down. And he was determined that no-one find out about his mother. He didn't need anyone's pity. No, he would on a brave face. Smile at the world, tell jokes and laugh, but he would never forget why he was here. There was just one problem right now. Lady Victoria.

His mind kept casting itself back to his earlier meeting with her. My god. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in all his life. She was ethereal. He thought unfailingly of the gentle fall of the long brown hair that framed her angelic face. Of the shining smile that had almost blinded him...Ugh! He needed to stop thinking about this; it wasn't going to lead anywhere good. He groaned, resting his head against the wooden beam behind him. And he wouldn't lose this job. Not for any reason.

"What am I doing?" he groaned helplessly.

Then a loud neighing in the stall at the far side claimed his attention. The stall was separate from the rest. Beck got up and walked over to the lone stall. The name on the front told him that the horse inside was called Wilson, and he was kicking up a storm, shifting around agitatedly.

"Would you calm down?" asked Beck, "Seriously, do you want me to lose my job? Cause if you do, we've got a problem." Beck glared at the horse. Why was he so restless...wait. Restless. Suddenly an idea came to Beck. A risky one. But it was eleven o' clock at night, so everyone, servants and masters would be asleep. As long as he didn't take too long, he could get away with it.

Ten minutes later, Wilson was saddled and ready to ride. Beck put his leg in the stirrup, and swung the other one over. "OK, boy" he said, "Run until you tire yourself out." Neighing in delight, Wilson took off at a strong gallop through the mountainous fields. Beck laughed as Wilson charged through the fields, the wind whipping through his long hair. Wilson seemed to know where he was going, so Beck let him run without restraint. Then Wilson ran into the woods which stood on the estate.

Beck was ducking branches and leaning widely to gain balance as Wilson rushed through the woods, fearing nothing. The way he ducked and swerved told Beck that Wilson had taken this route before, so he focused on staying on the horse.

"Where are you taking me, Will!?" Beck shouted over the wind whistling in his ears. But Wilson just kept on running.

* * *

Finally, after few more minutes of running, Wilson came to a stop. Beck climbed off and scanned the area around him. Wilson had brought him to a small clearing.

The thick arrangement of trees and bushes lined the edge of the clearing, leaving a large patch of undisturbed grass in the centre. Right in front of the grass, there was a large lake, silent and beautiful in the dark night. It really was a peaceful spot. Beck grinned back at the horse.

"Is this where you take the mares on your dates?" he asked, "Cause if it is, I haven't been giving you enough credit" Wilson neighed, and sat down on the grass where he stood.

"Guess we're staying for a while" said Beck, "But we have to be back before dawn alright?"

* * *

Victoria woke up unusually early, although she could hardly call what she experienced the night before sleep. She had found herself inexplicably restless as she lay on her bed, tossing and turning all night. Her mind, previously so accommodating to her desires now betrayed her with thoughts of the presumptuous yet charming young man she had met the day before. Tori checked the nearby grandfather clock. It was five o' clock in the morning. Not even the servants would be awake yet. Slowed by the disorienting tiredness, she got up, and wearily made her way to the bathroom to ready herself for the day.

Twenty minutes later, Tori had made breakfast for herself- eggs and bread, her favourite- showered and was ready to head outside to work on her stories. After sneaking back up to her room to retrieve her stories from her music box, she carefully made way to the great oak.

She was stopped as she walked by the barn by the sound of neighing and the galloping of hooves. She quickly dived behind a large stack of hay in front of the barn, wondering who would be out riding at so early in the morning. Or had one of the horses escaped? She peered out from behind the stack of hay and saw the boy from the previous day, Beck, riding Wilson into the barn at surprising speed. How had he tamed Wilson? He was their most troublesome and unreasonable horse. Even her father had taken a long time to earn his trust.

"No idea what the matter is with me" Beck's voice drifted from inside the barn. Tori sneaked out from behind the hay, and slowly, crouching low, made her way inside the barn and behind another hay stack. She made a mental note to tell her father that these large stacks of hay really were the ideal hiding place for a burglar.

Beck was facing away from her, taking the saddle off of Wilson.

"You know, I dreamt about her last night, after we went to sleep?" Beck was saying to the horse, "That never happens to me." Tori pressed her back more firmly against the rectangular bay of hay. She leaned out again. Beck had removed Wilson's saddle, and had his hands on his waist in front of the gate, looking expectantly at Wilson.

Wilson regarded the open gate to his stall and fixed Beck with a strange look. "What?" asked Beck. Wilson nodded his head in the direction of a body brush...and of Tori. She gasped and quickly ducked back behind the hay.

"Alright" she heard Beck say with a chuckle, "We've got some time" he shrugged. Tori heard soft footsteps approaching her hiding place, and carefully edged further to the other side of the hay. She imagined that Beck must have picked up the brush when she heard the retreating footsteps, and chanced another glance from behind the hay. She spotted Beck sat down on a nearby bale of hay, facing away from her, and gestured for Wilson to come closer. Wilson obeyed, walking over to where Beck sat and lay down. Beck chuckled again, and began to brush the horse.

"But you know what's weird? It kind of feels like I've met her before. Somewhere" he trailed off. "Not that she's all perfect" he continued. Tori raised her eyebrows at him, silently daring to keep talking.

"There was that over reaction with the papers yesterday" he said, "Kind of makes you doubt her mental health." Behind the hay, Tori made an affronted face and narrowed her eyes at the boy. "But can I tell you a secret, Will?" Beck continued, "I liked her spirit. Do you know she was sat on the ground when I met her yesterday? On the ground, in the dirt? You know how many of my old employers would do that? Not a single one. They're too... _proper"_ he said the word with a sarcastic chuckle. "It's kind of...refreshing"

Tori wondered whether she should go out and reveal herself. She felt like she was eavesdropping, which was absurd, considering that the man was talking to a horse!

"I guess you don't have these kinds of problems, huh, boy? I'm sure you've got moves when it comes to the mares, am I right?"

Tori suppressed a giggle. He was really talking about girls with a horse! And yet somehow, HE was the one doubting HER mental stability. Tori shook her head, and walked out from behind the stack of hay. She placed her hands on her hips.

" _Ahem!_ " she cleared her throat loudly. Beck froze, and she heard him chuckle.

"How much of that did you hear, Lady Vega?" asked Beck, turning to face her.

"Enough. Somewhere around "doubt her mental health"", I came in" she said. Beck had the decency to look embarrassed. He looked at the ground, and absently put his hand in his hair.

"I'm sorry" he apologised looking up at her. "I wasn't being serious. I just-"

"Was being honest?" Tori said, laughing. Beck started to laugh with her. He loved the way she laughed. There was something so carefree and infectious about it- it was almost impossible not to laugh with her when she began.

"Yes, ma'am, I was." He admitted.

"Hand me that other brush" she said to Beck, walking up to Wilson. She rolled up her sleeves, like Beck had, and took the brush when Beck offered it.

"You...brush your own horses?" he asked, surprise clear in his voice. Tori rolled her eyes at him.

"I take it from the tone of your voice" she said dryly, "That you're surprised?" she said.

"Very perceptive, my lady" said Beck, grinning, "It's just that other's I've worked for often had people, usually me, to take care of their horses and their dogs and, in one particularly terrifying case, a moose." Tori laughed again.

"A moose? Really?"

"No, not really" said Beck, "I just wanted to see if I could make you laugh"

"For any particular reason?"

Beck shrugged, "I like your laugh." It shouldn't have had any kind of effect on Tori- it was an innocent enough compliment, but she immediately felt her cheeks flush. She turned away from Beck so he wouldn't notice, choosing instead to work on Wilson's back. "Also, Lady Vega" Beck said, behind her, "I'm sorry about grabbing that sheet of paper yesterday. It was clearly something important, and it was presumptuous of me to just think I could read it. So I apologise" he finished. Tori turned around to find him staring seriously at her, sincerity etched on every inch of his face. But this was ridiculous. She had been the one to overact. It wasn't right that he should be apologising when he had done nothing wrong.

"You don't need to apologise, Mr Oliver. I overacted, so I'm sorry about that" she said, meekly. Beck was stunned into silence.

"You are apologising...to me?" he asked. Never in his life had one of his high class, wealthy employers apologised to him. It caught him completely off guard.

"Yes" she said slowly, giving him a strange look.

"Thank you" said Beck, "But it isn't necessary for you to apologise to me, given our stations, Lady Vega."

Tori was surprised at the emotionless tone of voice he used.

"Oh" she said, knowingly, "You're one of those poor, underprivileged people who despises the wealthy just because they are that. Wealthy" Beck was taken aback.

"No" said Beck, offended by the accusation, "People don't choose the life they are born into. It's no-ones fault if they are born wealthy or not. Life just happens that way"

"That's an interesting way of looking at it" Tori said, smiling. For some reason she couldn't fathom, Beck suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"It's how my mother taught me to look at it" he said after a moment. The tone of his voice told Tori that this was a sensitive subject. She made a note to avoid it in the future.

Deciding to change the topic, Tori asked casually, "Did you enjoy your first day yesterday?"

"Very much so" Beck nodded, "There wasn't very much to do except trim some overgrown hedges, feed the horses and remove some unwanted birds from the fields"

"I'm glad" said Tori. She envied Beck's freedom. Her mother would throw a fit if she dared to try anything so "common" as manual labour.

"What do you do to let loose, Lady Vega?" Beck asked, grinning at her broadly.

"To...let loose" she laughed, "What does that mean?" Beck again joined her in her laughter.

Calming down, he explained, "To relax. To enjoy yourself?"

"I write" she said, simply. Immediately she froze. What on earth had caused her to admit that? Her stories were precious, a part of her. They were her escape to another world, one where she was free to go on wild adventures, escape bravely from dangerous villains and marry the perfect man. Until now, only she and Cat even knew they existed. What was it about this boy that had her lower her guard to such an extent? And why, why was it she felt like she could trust him already, when she had only met him a day before? Why did she seem to know, beyond any kind of reasonable doubt, that this boy was kind?

While she pondered this, Beck studied her, and said, "I read. It's my personal pastime. And I very much enjoy wonder of the stories. They are the only place where all limitations are lifted"

Tori looked at him, puzzled. Was he not going to mention what she had just admitted? Perhaps he thought it was ridiculous, and not worth mentioning. No, she could tell, again by some unfathomable logic, that Beck was not like that.

"I enjoy reading, as well" she said, slowly, "And what you just described is exactly why. Also" She trailed off.

"You don't have to answer" Beck said quickly, as though he was worried about making her uncomfortable. Tori smiled at the thought that he was so considerate.

Well, why not? She had already told him her biggest secret. Why not tell him the rest?

"I enjoy the outdoors. Climbing trees to pick fruit, or simply to read sat on one of the branches. Going to swim in the lake near the forest. Even drawing the animals that I see" she said and she was totally shocked at the enthusiasm, she heard in her own voice. Beck's eyes widened in astonishment.

"That is not at all what I expected you to say" he beamed. "I'm surprised"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you" she smirked.

"Please never apologise for being different, Miss Vega. At least never to me. It's what makes you unique. And that makes you wonderful. Can you imagine how boring a world filled with people who were all exactly the same would be?" he said, smiling charmingly at her.

Tori had never looked at it that way before. She certainly had never expected this out of the conversation. She was stunned by his insightfulness, and she realised, with a pang of guilt and shame, that it was because he was poor. She had been taught that the poor were uneducated, and that this made it extremely to have a decent conversation with any of them. But Beck was proof that this was incorrect. Here he was, mostly well spoken, able to read, and providing her with the most interesting and enjoyable conversation she had had in a very long time.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, looking at her frowning face with concern.

"Yes" she said, "I'm very well, thank you" she said. They continued talking about random things for the next few minutes. The weather, the favourite books and which kind of sandwich was better, peanut butter or jelly, were all discussed at length. Eventually, the rest of the house was starting to awaken. Tori stood up, dusted herself off, and thanked Beck for the conversation before bidding him farewell and leaving with the world's brightest smile on her face.


	4. Different Worlds

Lady Vega 4

 **Hey guys! Hope you've been enjoying the story so far. I know there's been a fair bit of fluff so far, but that's kind of my style. Keeps things from getting too dark, I think. Anyway, this chapters' got some Cabbie and Jandre, and Beck's character gets developed a little bit more. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **As always, I don't own Victorious or anything associated with it.**

 **Now, on with the story!**

Beck sat reading in the barn. He thought absently that he might, at some point, go inside and meet the rest of the staff, but right now, he preferred the solitude. It gave him time to think, about the reason he was here, about the importance of his job...about the potential ruin that lay in the beautiful form of Lady Victoria Vega. He rose from his resting spot, stretched, and put his book down.

"Better go meet the others" he mumbled to himself.

"You always speak to yourself?" Beck jumped at the voice behind him, and turned to see a young African-American boy with dreadlocks and a lazy grin on his face.

"Sorry" said the stranger, walking confidently up to Beck. He raised a hand. "My name's Andre. Andre Harris"

"Beck Oliver" grinned Beck. The stranger leaned against a wooden beam, regarding Beck carefully. "What do you do here?" asked Beck.

"I'm the other groundskeeper" he explained, putting his hands in his brown trousers.

"There's another one?"

"Did you think you were the only one? With grounds these big?" said Andre, with an amused smile on his face. Beck thought about it his first sight of the grounds from the oak tree that first day. He had been amazed by their magnificent size but he only thought of it as a challenge at the time-that he alone would be the one to care for these lands. Looking back, thought Beck, that was quite foolish.

"Good point" Beck nodded, putting his hands in his hair, "How come I haven't seen you around these past couple of days?"

"Yeah. I had some family trouble back home, and Lord Vega was kind enough to let me go back a few days...he's a good man"

"I know" agreed Beck. In fact, Andre had no idea exactly how well Beck knew what a good man Lord Vega was. Regarding the way in which Andre's voice had dipped low and slowed when he mentioned his family, Beck made a mental not to touch on the subject.

"So, you coming in to get some food?" asked Andre, "Cause I'm about to head in" said Andre, turning towards the door of the barn.

"Isn't it a bit late to go and eat dinner?" asked Beck. He checked his watch; eight o clock.

"Nah, it'll be fine. And you know, it's never too late to eat"

Beck walked up next to him, "Then why not?" he said with a smile.

* * *

"Ugh, it's so annoying" Tori groaned, placing her head in her hands. It was eight o clock, and she was sitting on a table in the servants kitchen, talking with Cat and another servant, Jade, about her troublesome thoughts of Beck. Tori had mixed feelings when it came to Jade. She had a habit of speaking her mind that went to the point of occasional rudeness, but she never pretended to be someone she wasn't. She was never afraid of making her opinions known, and Tori admired that about her. She had grown to like Jade more and more as she continued to work on their estate, and unlike the way it sometimes was with Cat, Jade was never afraid of giving the cold, brutal truth.

"Why don't you just talk to him about it?" Cat asked, smiling happily, totally unaware of the impracticality of her suggestion.

Jade laughed sarcastically, "Sure. You go tell the poor stable boy that you're thinking about him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled"

"His wealth doesn't matter to me" shrugged Tori, "I just like how I feel when I'm with him"

"What about Richard, Tori?" Cat interjected, taking a sip of her coco.

Jade made a dismissive sound, "I never liked that guy, anyway. There's just something creepy about him. Go for the poor boy" she said decisively.

"It's different with Richard. It's more..."

"Boring?" Jade offered.

"Conventional" said Tori after some thought. Tori sighed deeply in surrender. This wasn't getting them anywhere. She would find some way to deal with the plague upon her mind that was Beck Oliver. "Can we please change the subject?"

"OK" said Jade, with a mischievous grin. She turned to face Cat, "Hey Cat, how's your crush on Mr Shapiro going?"

Cat's entire face immediately went red, and she looked down in embarrassment, "Fine" she said quietly.

"Jade" Tori admonished her for making Cat feel embarrassed.

"What?" Jade shrugged, "Everyone at this table knows it's true. And even if you hadn't told us, Cat, a blind monkey could figure it out" Jade took another sip of her tea.

"He's really above my station" Cat said quietly, looking saddened.

"Oh, Cat" Tori said, grabbing her hand sympathetically, "That shouldn't stop you. I know my family wouldn't have a problem with it. Mother and father are fond of you both"

"See? Go for it, Cat" encouraged Jade, "Make your move. I mean I don't get it at all, but whatever"

"Maybe I will..." Cat trailed off.

They were interrupted then, by Beck and Andre (Tori was delighted to see that he was back) walking into the room. Both of them were laughing and Andre gently punched Beck in the arm as they entered the room.

The laughter died when they encountered the scene in the dining room, and were replaced with looks of uncertainty.

Cat sprang up from her seat, yelling, "Andre!" as she rushed over to him and all but jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him.

Andre laughed, "Good to see you too, lil red" he said, happily, bracing himself at the sudden impact of Cat's body. Cat eventually let go, noticing Beck. Andre made the introductions.

"This is Beck, the other groundskeeper and stable boy"

"Oh, OK" said Cat, processing the information with a smile. She put her hand out for Beck to shake. He laughed and did just that. "Hi!" she beamed at him, I'm Caterina Valentine"

"A pleasure" Beck said with a charming smile. Tori watched with raised eyebrows as Cat melted. _Easy Cat,_ she thought, _You're supposed to be in love with Mr Shapiro, remember._

"It's good to have you back, Andre" Tori smiled kindly. That was when Beck registered Tori's presence in the room. He glanced in her direction, and smiled, giving her a curt nod...A nod. What was that supposed to mean?

"Thank you, Miss Vega, it's good to see you again" Andre smiled. Jade got up purposefully from her seat, and walked over to Andre.

"Well? Don't I get a hug too?" she said, smiling knowingly at him. Andre looked down...shyly, Tori realised.

"Um, yeah. Sure you do" he said, wrapping his arms around Jade. Jade seemed content to just stay there, holding on for just a moment too long before she finally let Andre go. Tori raised an eyebrow at the scene and made up her mind that she would ask Jade about it later. And she wasn't the only one to notice. She noticed Beck glancing at the scene, with his own eyebrows raised. Cat, on the other hand, was totally oblivious and bounced back to the chair next to Tori and sat down.

"Hey" said Andre, "we were just about to make some sandwiches, do you guys want to join us?"

"Will one of them be chocolate spread?" Cat chirped hopefully.

Andre laughed fondly, "Sure thing, lil red"

Tori looked at Jade, who shrugged casually, and Cat, who nodded enthusiastically. "Why not?" she conceded with a sigh.

Twenty minutes later, everyone except Cat had eaten and finished.

"I really needed that" Andre sighed contentedly. He got up from his seat and went over to wash his plate. Jade went over to the sink with him and began to wash hers. Cat sat happily finishing her chocolate spread sandwich and coco, and humming quietly to herself. "Hey, Beck, can you go check on the stables before we head up? I'll wash up your plates and cup" Andre asked, looking over his shoulder at Beck.

"Deal" said Beck, getting up and bringing his plate over to the sink.

"Miss Vega, why don't you give him a hand" Jade smiled mischievously. Tori looked up quickly, shooting a glare in Jade's direction.

"That's OK, Miss Vega, I can handle it" said Beck quickly.

"No, Beck, I'll help you. I'm not tired quite yet, anyway"

"But I can't ask you to-"

"You didn't. Just lead the way and stop arguing" Tori said, smiling smugly at Beck and getting to her feet. He looked very uncomfortable at that moment, but Tori couldn't figure out why.

* * *

"You didn't have to help me, Miss Vega" said Beck. He and Tori were making their way back to the barn across the large field. The August air was warm and humid, but a cool breeze blew every so often. Tori walked beside Beck, her arms behind her back.

"It's fine. If you recall, I don't mind a little manual labour" she answered. Beck mentally rolled his eyes. What was it with her? Why did she insist on spending time with him? It wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company, in fact, he couldn't ever remember enjoying someone's company more. But she was trouble, though it was through no fault of her own. The situation he was in made her the worst kind of forbidden fruit, one taste would ruin everything. But he would not lose this job because he was too weak to control his own desires. Come hell or high water, he would stifle his feelings for Miss Vega, and carry on as just her employee.

"Then I suppose I can't stop you" Beck shrugged.

"No, you can't" she said. Suddenly Tori grabbed Beck's hand and began running, pulling him along behind her.

"Whoa!" Beck shouted in surprise, struggling to keep his balance at the sudden yanking of his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Just come on! I just thought of something" she yelled, grinning back at him. Beck followed her, and realised that they were heading to the oak tree where he had first met her. Both were out of breath when they arrived at the oak.

"Why are we here?" Beck asked between breaths.

"Because there's something you have to see" she said, simply.

"Under the tree?" Beck enquired, surveying the surrounding area. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the scene. The gentle orange glow of twilight had settled on the grounds, and in the summer breeze, the grass swayed tenderly.

"Up the tree" she clarified.

"We're going to climb the tree?" Beck asked, looking confused, "Why?"

"You'll see when we get up there...What is it? I thought that you liked to climb trees" she smiled at him.

Beck watched in stunned surprise as put her foot in a crack of the oak trunk, and began climbing like someone who had done it several times before. Beck was willing to bet that she probably had.

Tori looked down at him from a tree branch, "Are you going to come? Because with or without you, I'm going ahead." she threatened.

Beck considered this. He shouldn't go up there. He knew he shouldn't. He should go to the barn and leave her to her own devices. Yes. That's what he should do, and that was what every logical sense of reasoning within him was telling him to do.

The he looked up at the wild and carefree smile on her face, and everything logical within him crumbled away. With an impressed chuckle, Beck followed her up the tree, following her movements perfectly.

Tori smiled approvingly at him, and continued to climb. Beck followed as accurately as he could without glancing upwards. If nothing else, he prided himself on always being a gentleman. He was not well bred, and couldn't play cricket or polo or understand mathematics, but he had vowed long ago that he would always be a gentleman in the way he treated women. And that included not looking up a girl's skirt when presented with the opportunity. Still, he admitted to himself with an ironic grin, the temptation was undoubtedly there.

He kept climbing until the lack of rustling leaves above him told him that Tori had stopped climbing and that they had reach wherever it was they were going. Beck's head popped up out of the massive sea of leaves at the very top of the oak. He looked at Tori, who had her arms folded on the branch in front of her, and was gazing ahead with a brilliant smile on her face. Beck followed her gaze, and gasped.

"Wow" he said in wonderment. The sky in the distance was decorated with what seemed like a blend of thousands of different colours of the sunset. The sapphire blends with the bright pink flecks in the sky were adorned with the first dots of emerging stars. "That's..."

"Enchanting, isn't it?" Tori said.

"You've come up here before?" Beck guessed.

"Yes. The sky only looks this way for a few minutes every day, just before sunset" she informed him.

"When was the last time you came up here?" Beck wondered, looking now at Tori, instead of the sunset. He had a very difficult time deciding which one was more alluring.

"Actually, I haven't done this in years. I used to do it every day when I was a kid...I don't know why I suddenly remembered it" she said, frowning at the sunset.

"Well, I'm glad you did" grinned Beck. Tori smiled again at the sunset feeling peaceful and calm for the first time for as long as she could remember.

* * *

The next day Beck woke up to a pillow thrown at his face. He groaned and pulled off the pillow.

"Come on, man, time to get up" said Andre from his own bed in the room. Beck groaned and made a dismissive gesture at Andre, who chuckled. "By the way, how'd your night go with Miss Vega, last night?"

Beck's eyes flashed open, but he didn't move. "Why do you ask?" he said sleepily.

Andre laughed, "Yeah, that got your attention, didn't it"

"We just settled the stables. No big deal" said Beck, now sitting up on his bed and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Look man" said Andre, his voice now serious. Beck looked up to see Andre leaning against a wall with his arms folded. "I know she's good looking and all, but falling for the boss's daughter is the one of the stupidest things that you can do right now"

"You don't think I know that?" Beck asked, laughing at the irony. No one knew that better than he did. It was just a matter of willpower.

"Nah, I don't. And you know, she's taken anyway. Just find another girl, there's lots of cute maids around the estate"

"Ohhh, you mean like Jade" grinned Beck. He watched Andre's eyes widen in surprise. Then he saw the grin on Beck's face.

"That obvious huh?" he said, returning Beck's grin. Beck got up and stretched.

"Yep" he yawned. "Least you can do something about it" he paused, glancing at the clock in their room. "We're up a little early"

"So? Might as well get a start on the day"

In twenty minutes, they had showered, dressed out the door to breakfast. They walked into the servant's kitchen, frowning at the rainy day they saw through the windows. Jade was already down, alone in the kitchen.

"Hey" Andre greeted her, "You the only one up?"

"No. Cat just went to check on the mail" she answered with a shrug. Andre poured himself some tea, and sat down next to Jade, who smiled without looking up at him. Beck poured his tea, made himself another sandwich and left them alone.

On his way through the halls, while pulling on his jacket, he bumped into Cat carrying an armful of mail in her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Cat" he said, fixing his jacket.

"That's OK" she said, smiling brightly up at him. "Oh, and you have some mail." Form the massive pile, she plucked out a single envelop and handed it to Beck. He was confused. Who was sending him mail?

"Thanks Cat" he said "You need some help carrying that?"

"No, no, I've got it" she said, walking off.

Beck put the mail in his jacket pocket to protect it from the rain, and walked out into the downpour.

* * *

DAMN IT! Beck kicked a chair against the wall, where it collided with a loud crack and broke apart. Horses neigh and stamped their feet in alarm. But he didn't care. The rain hammered down outside of the barn, heavily enough to reduce visibility. The letter was crumpled in his hand, and he crushed it with more force, as though if he destroyed it, it would erase the content.

He sat down heavily on his usual bay of hay. His mother's condition was worsening by the day. That's what the letter from his father had said. Her treatment was now more necessary than ever if she had any chance of recovery. She would need at least another year of treatment for her health to fully return. Beck banged his head against the wooden beam behind him. It killed him to know that his mother was suffering like this.

This letter brought back reality for him. This was it. He realised that he had become complacent; ignoring the real reason he was here. He had become absorbed in insignificant and ridiculous ideas about some stranger he hardly knew, someone who never learned meaning of hard work. They came from different worlds. It had never been more clear. She had everything handed to her on a silver platter, and he had had to work for everything he had ever owned. She never had someone's life in her hands, never experienced the fear and horror that now plagued him. It was irrational, and he knew it, but resentment festered inside him, towards Tori, towards this estate, towards the perfect lives that these people led. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was doing exactly what she once accused him of. He was resenting the upper class because of what they had. He knew perfectly well that it was not Tori's fault that she was born wealthy, but he now knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that they could never understand each other.


	5. Always a Gentleman?

Lady Vega 5

 **AN: Here's my latest chapter in Lady Vega! Just a warning, there's some drama ahead, as well as some Cabbie and Jandre- Can't help it, having so many pairings in one story, I'm just a romantic at heart;p**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it!**

Tori woke a little earlier than she usually did. She could hear the heavy downpour of rain that had woken her up. She rolled over sleepily on her bed and looked outside the large window of her room. The torrent was severe, and she shivered at the chill it created. Yawning, she rose tiredly from her bed, and prepared herself for the day ahead.

Ten minutes later, she was walking down the stairs to the servant's lunchroom, thinking that she would say hello to Cat and Jade before she went to eat her breakfast.

At the bottom of the stairs that led to the entrance to the servant's kitchen, Tori paused at the doorway when she heard laughter coming from the inside of the room. Hiding behind the door post, she glanced inside the room. Jade and Andre were sat on the dining table, both facing away from her, laughing together with a cup of tea each. Tori smiled to herself, and sneaked past the doorway quickly, deciding not to interrupt them.

She then made her way up to the main dining room upstairs. Cat was already laying out plates and cups on their oversized table.

"Morning, Cat" she smiled.

"Hi, Tori!" she chirped, running over to hug her, "How are you?"

"A little chilly" she answered truthfully, "So, what's for breakfast?"

"You already know" Cat winked at her.

"Eggs and bread?"

"Yep" she said excitedly, "But you're a little early, but it might take a while." Cat paused. "If you wanted, you could visit the cute new stable boy" she suggested, with a secretive smile on her face. Tori smiled and shook her head in defeat. She had some time, she might as well go see how Beck was doing.

"OK, maybe I will" Tori said.

* * *

Tori hurried across the fields, the violent wind making her umbrella nearly useless. She breathed heavily as she ran into the barn and slammed the door shut behind her, shutting out the deluge. Beck was facing away from her, putting something on top of a shelf. He glanced behind him, took in the soaking figure of Tori, and sighed heavily. He pulled a blanket down from the same shelf, and carried it over. He offered the blanket to her, unsmiling.

"Thank you" she smiled gratefully, wrapping herself in the blanket.

"That's alright" he muttered, turning away from her. What was that? Tori looked at him walking away from her in confusion. It was as though he was refusing to acknowledge that she was even there. She sensed something different about him. The atmosphere between them wasn't as warm as it normally was. She watched as Beck bent down to stoke a blazing fire that was lit in the corner of the barn.

"So...how are you?" she asked cautiously, walking over to the fire, and sitting down on a bale of hay in front of it. She sighed contentedly, welcoming the warmth after the freezing chill of the outside, and pulled the blanket Beck gave her further up her shoulders. Beck sat down on the bale of hay next to her, looking down with an emotionless face at the fire.

"I'm fine" he shrugged. He got up suddenly, and went over to check on the horses, leaving Tori looking after him blankly.

"Are you sure?" she called from the fireplace, "Because you don't seem that way"

"Well, I am" he said, so quickly that it was almost rude. He started fiddling with one of the saddles on the horses. She got up, taking the blanket still wrapped around her, and walked over to where Beck was.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Just fixing a buckle on the sadle" he answered, focusing unusually hard on the buckle. He didn't meet her eye the entire time. Tori walked in front of him, and dipped her head, trying to see his eyes while his head was bent. Beck's eyes glanced briefly to hers before going back to the saddle.

"OK" she said slowly, getting up and putting her hands on her hips, "What's going on?" she demanded. Beck heaved a deep sigh, and raised his head to look her dead in the eye. Tori involuntarily took a step back in shock- she had never seen him look so serious. His face was devoid of all sense of humour. No bright smile lit up his face, no mischievous grin was playing on his mouth and there was no hint of laughter in his eyes.

"We're spending too much time together, Miss Vega. I think it's best if we keep our distance for a while" he said in monotone. Tori's eyes widened in surprise.

"Excuse me?" she said, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

Beck sighed deeply, and continued, "We're spending too much time in each other's company, Miss Vega. The other servants are starting to talk behind my back, and there are some inappropriate rumours flaring up about the way I got this job" Tori just stared at him in disbelief. There was no way the Beck she knew cared at all about what other people thought.

"So, you're saying that you don't want to continue being friends with me...because of a few stupid rumours?" she clarified, incredulously. Anger was slowly building up within her now. Who was he to blindside her with something like this? What had she done to deserve it?

"I'm saying that it's best if we stay just as employer and employee. I work for your family...and that's all we are to each other...nothing more" he said. He jaw was set, and Tori stared at him in total and utter disbelief.

"Is that right?" she said, shaking with barely controlled anger. "Well then, excuse me for making the mistake of thinking that we were friends" she snapped, her anger flaring, "I promise you, Mr Oliver, I won't make it again!"

With that she stormed over to the barn door and wrenched it open, dashing out into the rain.

* * *

Beck ran both hands through his hair in exasperation, looking at the barn door which Tori had just slammed shut. He felt like a cad. He knew that it would be a very long time before he forgave himself for the lies and cruel remarks he had just said to Miss Vega. The lies about the rumours were more a fear than actual fact. If rumours sprang up about him spending too much time with Miss Vega and it got back to either of her parents, he would lose his job for sure, and that couldn't happen. He had hung around with the upper classes long enough to know that if there was one thing they feared; it was scandal, and the heiress of the Vega fortune being overly friendly with a lowly stable boy? That was kindling of the worst kind for the flames of gossip. Lord and Lady Vega would never tolerate it. He would be fired in an instant to put a stop to the rumours.

None of that would happen now though. He had done the right thing; his focus wouldn't slip from his work, no rumours about him and Miss Vega would surface, and he would keep his job safe and secure. He thought of his mother, frail and weak in a hospital bed. He would be able to continue sending the money necessary for her treatments now. He would be able to keep taking care of her.

But not one of those thoughts served to quell the monstrous, razor sharp ache that had erupted within his chest.

* * *

Tori walked back into the house, dripping and soaking wet from the torrent of rain. She charged through the hallway quickly, not wanting to talk to anyone. She was seething with rage. HE didn't want to be friends with HER? A stable boy had just told her he didn't want to be her friend. As though he thought himself better than her! Who did he think he was?

She had misjudged him. She had thought he was kind and honest, and instead he had proved himself the exact opposite of those things. She had thought he was the last person to ever to care about what other people thought of him, but there he was, concerned about a bunch of ridiculous rumours. Well fine, she decided, if that was the way he wanted it. She would avoid him as he wished; they would have no further contact if she could help it, and she would, in time, banish the thought of the stable boy from her mind permanently.

"So Lady Vega has a crush Beck?" Andre asked from the ladder, with an eyebrow raised. It was afternoon, and he was alone in the barn fixing the roof. He didn't know where Beck had disappeared to, and just figured that he must have gone in for a late lunch. Jade had come in on her break, bringing him water and bread while she was on her hour break.

She nodded solemnly, "Kind a star crossed lover's deal, if you ask me. They'll never end up together"

"Ah, come on" said Andre hammering a nail into the wooden tile on the inside of roof, "Don't be so negative about it. You act all tough, but I know you really care about Miss Vega" he grinned down at her. Jade rolled her eyes at him. Andre flashed her a victorious grin.

"Whatever" she said, drinking her water and not meeting his eye. Damn it, he did know her well.

"OK" said Andre pulling gently on the tile to assess its strength, "That should do it." He climbed down the ladder, shaking the water from his hair. Jade flinched away from the droplets.

"Hey!" she shouted, "You're soaking me too."

"Oh yeah?" Andre grinned mischievously. He opened his arms wide facing her, "Give me a hug" he said. Jade got up quickly from the bale of hay, and backed away from him slowly, her hand raised.

"Oh no, get away from me" she warned, still backing away. Andre advanced, his grin wider than ever. Jade turned and ran over to the fire. Andre leaped over the bale of hay and caught her around the waist. She screamed.

"Gross!" she said, laughing "Get off of me." Andre tripped and landed on top of Jade. He gazed down at her beneath him, and she gazed up at him. As their eyes locked, all of a sudden nothing seemed funny to them anymore. Andre marvelled at the way the soft light of the fire caught her face, making her look more even beautiful than she usually did. A familiar heat sparked within him, one that always blazed to life whenever he saw Jade.

Jade gazed down at him with anticipation in her eyes. The slight blush on her cheeks told Andre all he needed to know in that moment. He leaned down, and pressed his lips gently to hers. Andre pulled away for a moment, gauging Jade's reaction. When she looked up at him smiling mischievously, he chuckled softly. He kissed her again, without any caution or second thoughts. And suddenly, it was as though someone had sent an electric charge running right through the both of them. A long pent up passion exploded between them, and Jade responded to his kiss with as much eagerness and enthusiasm as he possessed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him closer, ignoring the wetness of his shirt and his hair. Andre broke the kiss, and grinned down at Jade.

"Whoa. I guess the cat's outta the bag, now, huh?"

"Don't think there ever was a bag" she replied, returning his grin.

* * *

Night had fallen on the Vega estate, and Cat Valentine was in the servant's kitchen alone, placing all of the dishes on the table into the sink, and getting ready to wash up the dishes. She frowned as she realised that there were so many of them. She probably wouldn't get done until ten o clock. But, it was her turn on dishes. She turned on the tap, and picked up a plate, and sighed deeply as she began.

"Such a terrible noise from one so beautiful" Cat squeaked in surprise at the voice, and the plate slipped from her hand. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the ear-splitting crash that would no doubt follow, but it never came. She opened her eyes again to see Robert Shapiro on one knee in front of her holding the plate inches from the ground. Robbie stood up, and Cat was again surprised by the difference in their size, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you" he said, smiling kindly and handing her the plate. Cat was too shocked at his sudden closeness to register what she was meant to do with the plate. Robbie looked at her expectantly, "Miss Valentine?" he asked.

"Y-yes, Mr Shapiro. It's OK" she said, turning quickly back to the dishes to hide her flushed face.

"Have you got all of this left to do!?" he said, noticing the large mountain of dishes in the kitchen sink. He shook his head, and pulled a nearby red towel, slinging it over his shoulder. Then he positioned himself next to Cat, close enough that their shoulders were touching. Cat flinched nervously at the contact. No one besides Tori and Jade knew about her infatuation with Robert Shapiro, and now here she was, alone in a kitchen with the man himself.

"What are you doing?" she asked, quietly, running water along the plate.

"I'm helping you wash the dishes" he smiled down at her.

"You don't need to" she said, a little too quickly, "I can do it"

"Nonsense. Caterina, this pile of dishes is almost as large as you are" he replied, laughing a little. Cat smiled at his teasing comment.

"Alright then, Sir" she conceded.

"Caterina" he said, "You can call me Robert, no-one else is around"

"OK" she said brightly, "Then you have to call me Cat" Robbie raised his eyebrows, but he shrugged, and picked up a cup, running it under the hot water. He couldn't tell that Cat was smiling the whole time they were washing the dishes. Then, she remembered what he had said when he first entered the room. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" she blurted, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Which part?" asked Robbie, amused by her sudden outburst.

"That I'm beautiful?" she asked. Immediately after the question had left her lips, she wished that she had not said it. What if it was just what he said to everyone? A normal part of his charm? She looked up at Robbie, and saw him looking completely surprised.

"Of course I did" he said, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world, "Because you are" Cat pursed her lips, and looked back down at the dishes. He had no idea how her stomach flipped in excitement at his words. Robbie took a very deep breath. "Cat" he said, "You are very beautiful. I have thought so from the very first moment I met you"

Cat beamed at the dishes, still unable to meet his eye for fear that she would burst with happiness. Then Robbie sighed harshly. "Oh, to hell with it" he said.

Grabbing Cat by the waist, he turned her around to face him, and pressed his lips to hers. Cat kissed him back, welcoming the relief of finally being able to do what she had fantasised about so often. She wrapped her arms around his neck, totally disregarding the soap on her hands, and pressed him deeper into the kiss. Robbie wrapped both hands around Cat's waist now, and pulled her closer, lifting a little off of the floor.

When they separated, both were breathless and flushed, and beaming with happiness. They attempted to piece together what was left of their shattered composure, and went back to doing the dishes. Cat found that she didn't mind it very much at all anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Tori found herself with an unusually short temper. She hadn't slept well at all the night before, and her mood suffered because of it. Her overactive mind had kept playing the events of the day over and over again, and each time she grew steadily angrier at Beck. The unfairness of the way he treated her still stung.

She walked past the servant's kitchen without going in; she was in no mood to socialise with anyone. She would spend today sticking to the shadows, she decided as she walked through the darkened halls, and avoiding people as best she could. No sooner had the thought formed in her mind, than Cat bounced up to her at the top of the stairs that led to the grand hall. She had a smile on her face that put the summer sunshine to shame.

Perfect, thought Tori bitterly, the one day she was miserable, Cat chooses to be overly happy.

"Morning Tori" she squealed happily.

"Cat? You're in a really good mood day" Tori noted, trying to smile. She thought she managed to pull it off, because Cat seemed not to notice anything.

"Wanna know why?" Even as she said it, Cat began bouncing up and down in excitement and giggling.

"OK" Tori said, worrying that Cat might burst if she didn't let her tell her secret. Car leaned in close to Tori, and whispered to her.

"I kissed Mr Shapiro last night" she giggled. Tori's eyed widened in surprise, as Cat crushed her in a hug.

"I'm happy for you, Cat" Tori said honestly, "And it's been a long time in the coming"

"I know!" Cat shouted happily. "I have to go now, I need to get breakfast ready, but I really wanted you to know" she said skipping off in the direction of the stairs.

Tori sighed. She knew that she should be happy for her friend, but she wasn't in a cheerful mood at all. Everything seemed grey to her, as though the colour had faded. She knew she was being ridiculous. How could she be affected so much by someone she had known for such a short time?

She walked into the dining room, where her mother was already waiting for her, starting on the selection of ever-present fruit on the table.

"Tori, dear" she smiled at her daughter, "How are you?"

"Fine, mother" Tori answered, sitting down next to her.

"Good" said her mother, looking down. Tori glanced suspiciously at her mother. She was acting strange, as though she was not able to meet Tori's eye. Tori recognised this look.

"Mother...what did you do?" Tori asked, over-enunciating each word.

"Nothing bad" her mother said quickly, "I just happened to come across these" she mused. Tori watched with raised eyebrows as her mother pulled up a train ticket, and layed it out on the table. Tori glanced at the destination.

"You want me to go see Richard in London...tomorrow" she said, looking at her mother for confirmation that she was right. Her mother responded with an enthusiastic nod.

"Now, Victoria" her mother continued, quickly, "I know you said you didn't want to go. And I understand the need to not seem clingy" she trailed off, "But won't you recon-"

"Alright" Tori said. Her mother froze, astonishment framing her entire face. Then all at once, her face broke into a wide smile. "I will go and see Richard in London tomorrow" Tori confirmed.

"Tori, that's wonderful!" Her mother got up, walked over and squeezed Tori in a tight hug. Tori smiled back weakly.

* * *

Beck sat reading in the barn that afternoon. He had finished feeding the horses, and tidying the barn, and now he was relaxing. OK, that was wrong. He was _trying_ to relax. The guilt of what he had said to Tori the day before plagued him. He had replayed it again and again in his mind last night. What he had said, how he had said it. The hurt he saw in her eyes haunted him, and it made sleep impossible from him. He knew that he hadn't handled the situation as well as he should have. He acknowledged that, more than everything else, he was angry at himself because he knew he had hurt Tori.

The sound of the opening barn door interrupted his thoughts. Andre leaned in through the doorway.

"Come on, got a new job for you" he called from the door.

"Oh yeah?" asked Beck, not looking up from the novel, "What's that?"

"We're packing up luggage...Miss Vega's goin on a trip." Beck's head whipped up. Tori was leaving? Did she hate him so much she couldn't stand to be near to him anymore?

"Where is she going?" Beck asked, getting up and walking to the door.

"Don't ask me, man" Andre grinned, "I just work here." With that, he disappeared from behind the door. Beck groaned in annoyance. Ever since the day before, Andre had been unusually happy. Seriously. Beck was starting to get more irritated with him by the minute. He knew it was stupid, but he resented that Andre was so happy when his life was at the worst it had ever been. In the past, whenever he was being teased or ridiculed by the other children, he would always get through it because he knew he was the better man. He knew he was always a good person. But yesterday's events had shaken that belief.

* * *

Tori lay in bed awake all night, but not because she was thinking about Beck. Something else was bothering her this night. She was not as excited as she should be to see Richard again. Was it because they had spent so much time apart? Tori doubted it-Richard had taken longer business trips than this one the past, and she had always been happy when he had returned home to her. But she wasn't filled with her usual excitement this time. She felt...nothing.

Ugh! She rolled over and punched her pillow into a more comfortable position. What was wrong with her? She knew the answer to that. She didn't want to admit it, but that didn't stop it from being true. All the evidence pointed in only one direction. Beck.

Tori groaned into her pillow and silently questioned why her thoughts always circled back to him. This was getting ridiculous. Perhaps she just needed to see Richard. He would force Beck out of her mind with a loving kiss and a warm embrace, and everything would be back to normal. Yes, that was what she was wished for. Maybe this one time, her wishes would come true.

* * *

 _London, the following day._

Tori stepped into the buzz and noise of the city. Her mother had arranged for a car outside the train station, ready and waiting to take her to Richard's hotel.

Once she arrived, she spoke to the briefly to overly accommodating man at the desk, who eagerly gave her the key and told her to enjoy her stay once he had heard her name. She gave him a smile before walking into the elevator, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. She was filled with anticipation and worry about what she would feel when she finally saw Richard in front of her.

She approached the white door of Richard's room, and was about to knock, when she heard a strange noise coming from within the room. She pressed her ear to the door. It sounded like...giggling. Female giggling. Realisation hit her, and her face went pale. Shaking, she put the key in the door and turned it.

She opened the door to a small hallway, and continued walking slowly towards the sound of the giggling. She turned the corner of the hallway, and opened the door where the sound was coming form.

She forced herself to look at the scene in front of her, to let it sink it. Richard was lying on the bed in front of her, with a strange woman straddling him, wearing hardly any clothes at all.

Tori felt as though an iron fist had slammed hard into her stomach, winding her. She felt sick, sick to her core. She staggered backwards in disgust, wishing to put some small amount of distance between her and the revolting scene. Six months she had been seeing Richard, and she had truly cared for him, but here was undeniable proof that she meant nothing to him. Tears pricked at her eyes, and a sob escaped her.

Richard stopped laughing when he noticed her standing in the doorway, his attention caught by the sound of her sob. His expression froze, then was replaced with one of pure shock. "Victoria?" he asked, stunned.

Tori didn't wait for him to say anymore. Turning, she rushed back though the hallway and out of the door. She breathed deeply again in the safety and confinement of the elevator. But she wasn't far enough away from him yet. Once the elevator opened again, she dashed into the main lobby, and hurried out of the door. Jumping in the car, she asked the driver to take her back to the train station.


	6. Hero Of Her Past

Lady Vega 6

 **A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it's taken so long to update, it's been a hectic couple of weeks! Thanks so much for all of the awesome reviews! It's so great you guys are enjoying the story, and I hope this chapter makes you want to keep reading.**

 **Right, so this chapter. Well, a lot happens with Tori and Beck, and we have a bit of Cabbie thrown in. And as always, expect a lot of fluff thrown in there!**

 **Hope you enjoy it!**

Tori tried to force the thoughts of Richard from her mind. She had gotten on a train, and had been home in the early hours of the morning the next day.

As she stepped onto the vast fields of her father's estate, the sun had not risen fully yet, but an orange glow decorated the horizon, shining a delicate light on the field. She guessed that it was about five in the morning.

Tori found her head crowded, as though too many thoughts were trying to force themselves into the forefront of her mind. She knew that she had been intentionally blocking them out, choosing instead not to think about anything at all, but the thoughts now threatened to overwhelm her.

Tori ran to the only place she believed might bring her comfort. When she arrived, she sat down at the base of the oak tree, and took a deep breath. Slowly, she allowed herself to begin reflecting.

The thoughts began to take shape, and questions ran again and again in her mind. Had there been other girls? How long had it been going on? Did he know the girl or was she just a street walker?

But the question that tormented her was why. Why had he done it? Was it her? Had she done something wrong? That seemed to be the logical answer. First Beck had rejected her just as a friend, and now Richard had decided that she wasn't enough for him. The thought made her eyes swim with fresh tears, but she forced them back, refusing to shed any over him. No, she wasn't at fault here. He had done her wrong and his betrayal stung, but he was nothing to her now.

As though to argue with her, the memories of her and Richard resurfaced in her mind. The charming persistence he had displayed in her courtship had been what won her over. After turning him down time and again, he had never been discouraged, and pursued her until she had agreed, finally, to give him a chance. Up until now, she had been glad she did. And before she could stop them, the tears she had been holding back spilled over. She drew her knees up to herself and rested her head on them, sobbing loudly as the memories of how happy she and Richard once were tortured her mind.

* * *

"Slow down!" Beck shouted to Wilson. The horse paid no attention to him and kept on running at the same speed. Finally, they burst through the last barriers of trees and entered the fields of the estate. Wilson stopped for a moment, then his head whipped up, as though he heard something. He neighed, as he galloped fiercely in the direction of the barn. But halfway there, Beck realised that Wilson wasn't running toward the barn, but rather the oak tree. Wilson suddenly came to a stop, the Oak tree in front of them both. Confused, Beck climbed off of the horse, and went to look him in the eye. "What's the matter, boy?" he asked the horse. Then he heard a quiet whimpering coming from the direction of the Oak tree. "Stay here, boy" he told Wilson, as he walked up to the tree.

As he approached the tree, the sound became louder, and Beck recognised it as sobbing.

Coming around from behind the tree, he saw the source of the noise. Lady Vega was sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her body shaking violently with harsh sobs.

The sight was abhorrent to Beck. It seemed wrong to him that something so beautiful would be in so much pain. He slowly approached her, forgetting totally his earlier resolution to keep his distance. She was hurt, and that was all that mattered right now.

He cleared his throat loudly, "Lady Vega?"

Her head whipped up in shock at the sound of his voice, and she turned her pained gaze upon him. Beck was suddenly filled with a violent anger towards whoever or whatever had hurt Tori so much.

Tori's eyes narrowed as she saw him. He should have expected that, given the way he had treated her when they last spoke.

"And what do you want!?" she asked harshly, hurrying to wipe the tears from her face.

"To see if you were OK" Beck said, unafraid of her anger towards him. He advanced slowly.

"Oh?" she said sarcastically, "Won't that spread rumours that we might, oh, I don't know, be friends or something scandalous like that?"

OK, he deserved that one.

"I'm not the kind of man to turn away from a crying woman without trying to help her" he explained.

"I don't care what kind of man you are, Mr Oliver!" she screamed at him. "Leave me alone, and get out of here. That is an order from the daughter of your _employer._ Disobey it, and I will have you fired come nightfall"

Beck's jaw clenched. Fine then. She obviously didn't want him there, and what was going on had nothing to do with him. When it got to the point where his job was threatened, and by extension, his mother, it was time to walk away.

He nodded decisively, and bowed to her, "As you wish, Lady Vega" he said without emotion. Then he turned from her and began walking away.

"Wait!" he heard her call from behind him. He didn't turn around and kept walking. "Beck!" she called again. He turned in surprise at hearing her use his name, and saw her standing up, with her hands clenched to her chest and she seemed on the verge of tears again.

"I-I didn't mean that. It was c-cruel of me to say" she said through barely controlled sobs. Beck's eyes softened and he walked back to her, picking her up in his arms. She yelped in surprise as Beck carried her towards the tree, and set her down gently on the ground. He sat next to her.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked softly.

"I'll be alright" she replied with a sad smile. Almost on instinct, Beck wrapped his arms around her shaking body. She momentarily stilled in surprise, but then curled into his chest, crying heavily into his shirt. Beck began to comfortingly stroke her back, and eventually after a few minutes had passed, he felt her body stopped shaking.

She peaked up at him from his shirt, blushing slightly at the close contact with his chest.

"Feeling better?" Beck asked, looking down at her.

"Yes...a little. Thank you." She pulled away from him, and giggled slightly. Beck gazed at her in confusion. "I think I may have ruined your shirt" she said.

Beck laughed at her concern, "I'll get another one"

She laughed with him, feeling a strange relief as she did so.

The fresh light of dawn spilled over the horizon, illuminating the grounds fully. Tori dried her eyes with the back of her hands.

From his pocket, Beck produced a tissue and offered it to her with a warm smile.

Tori froze. Something about the gesture resonated deep within her. An old memory. Years ago, the young boy who had saved her life, had done the exact same thing. She had remembered everything about that day, except the face of the hero who had saved her. However much she tried, she could never remember the boy's face. But the details of that very face now came rushing back to her now with overwhelming force. She placed her hand on the ground behind her to steady herself as the memory returned. She remembered clearly the boy's unruly long brown hair, his cheesy grin and the warm smile he had given her when he first heard her speak. She remembered feeling comforted at that smile, as though it was a promise that everything was going to get better.

That was the way Beck's smile was making her feel right now.

Tori's eyes widened in shock, and her breath caught in her throat. It couldn't be. After all these years, it was nearly impossible. But she had to check. She had to be sure.

Slowly, she reached her hand to Beck's chin. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at her, but he made no attempt to move her hands. Gently, she titled his chin upwards.

She gasped in shock, a million different emotions crashing over her as she saw the dark scar on the bottom of Beck's chin.

"W-where did you get that scar?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"My scar?" he asked in total confusion, "It was an incident when I was a kid. There was a girl who nearly fell off a cliff and I-"

Tori silenced him with her mouth on his. She threw her entire body on him, and he went down onto the ground, with her on top of him. His eyes widened at the suddenness of her movements. He gently grabbed her shoulders, and pushed her back. She was beaming at him with the brightest smile he had ever seen. He couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Lady Vega...we can't. You're upset right now. You're not in your right mind. It would be wrong if-"

She laughed, and silenced him again with a kiss. She took his hand, and guided it along her leg, up her dress. Beck stopped his hand.

"You're not listening to me" he said firmly, "We can't-"

"Trust me" she said, continuing to move his hand up her leg. She stopped when his hand was above her knee. He eyes widened in shock as he felt the jagged scar there.

"That scar" he said, remembering the incident in his childhood. The girl he had saved, she had suffered a cut on her knee in the fall! He looked at her wildly, "You mean you're-"

She kissed him again, "Yes. I'm the girl you saved that day" she whispered excitedly, "And I never got the chance to say thank you. So thank you for saving my life, Beck Oliver" she said, pressing her lips to his again.

Beck's mind was reeling. Tori was the girl he had saved all those years ago. It seemed impossible.

He gently pushed her off of him though his entire body ached in protest.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow" he said, looking her directly in the eyes. They needed to calm down a little. Besides, when he had found her just now, she was an emotional mess.

"You mean later today?" she grinned at him.

Beck smirked, "Yes, once we've had a good night's sleep to process this...before our emotions run wild."

Tori laughed, "Alright then, if that's what you want, Mr Oliver"

"I think we know each other well enough that you can call me by my first name" he nodded.

"Then you will have to call me by mine" she said simply.

"Victoria it is, then" he grinned.

"Tori" she corrected. Beck tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's just such an informal nickname for someone so high-born" he explained, "But I like it" he added when she raised an eyebrow.

He got up, dusted himself off, and helped her up. They looked at each other in the dawn light, marvelling at the miracle for having found each other again.

To Beck, Tori had never looked more beautiful. The soft orange light gave her brown hair a reddish tint, the effect highlighting the gorgeous features of her face. He gazed at her, his eyes hungrily taking in her every detail. The way her cheeks were a little blushed, the way her soft lips were slightly swollen from their passionate kiss. The memory of that kiss was burned into his mind. Beck was sure that he would never forget it.

"We should go" he said, smiling at her.

"We should" she agreed.

Neither of them moved, and they both started laughing.

"Come on, let me walk you back" Beck offered, taking her by the hand.

"Alright" she giggled, happily. She found it impossible to believe that only minutes ago she had been as miserable as she had ever been before. Now she experienced a happiness she was unfamiliar with. One that overwhelmed and stunned her. Beck walked her back to the palace, and bid her goodnight. She giggled and reminded him that it was dawn, but said goodnight to him as well.

Tori and Beck both slept the most peaceful sleep they ever had, and both dreamed of the other.

* * *

Beck woke with a grin on his face the next day. He felt relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on the day.

"Something's got you in a good mood" Andre observed, as they got ready to head down to breakfast.

"Maybe I'm just high on life" Beck shrugged, trying to throw him off.

"Oh, so it's a girl" Andre laughed, then he stopped abruptly. "Wait. Tell me you took my advice and found someone other than Lady Vega" he said. When Beck didn't answer, he sighed deeply and shook his head. "You know you're playing with fire, right?"

"I know" Beck nodded. He knew too well, but he didn't have the strength to stifle the feelings he had for Tori, not anymore. Her kiss and the revelation of who she was robbed him of that. It was impossible now.

"Well, you know I won't tell anyone" Andre said, getting up and putting on his boots, "But be careful. Play it safe, and make sure none of the other servants see you. If Lord or Lady Vega find out-"

"I know" Beck said quickly. He knew, all too well what would happen. He and Tori would have to be subtle.

* * *

"So you kissed him!?" Jade asked, her eyes bulging in disbelief. She, Tori and Cat were sat in the servant's kitchen, having just finished breakfast.

"Why do you sound so surprised? You're the one who told me I should go for it" Tori asked defensively.

"Yeah, but I thought you were too much of a prude to actually listen to me" Jade laughed at her, "I'm actually a little impressed." Tori rolled her eyes at the backhanded compliment.

"Don't laugh" Cat said to Jade, "I think it's really sweet, Tori"

"Spontaneous is what it is. You met this guy, what, a week ago?" Jade asked.

"Actually, that's another thing" Tori said, blushing slightly, "Remember I told you about when I fell off that cliff when I was seven, and a strange boy saved me?"

"Yeah" said Jade, "But what does that have to do-?" She stopped suddenly, and her eyes widened as realisation hit her, "No!"

"Yeah...the boy who saved me was Beck"

"Oh wow!" cried Cat, clapping her hands together excitedly "And now you've found each other again. It's soooo romantic" she said, with a bright smile.

Jade quickly recovered from her shock, "I'd hate to rain on this parade, Tori, but this guy's a stable boy. What exactly do you imagine happening between you two?"

"I...don't really know" Tori said hesitantly. Her parents, more specifically her mother would never allow Tori and Beck to be together. What then, was the plan for them?

Tori was drawn from her thoughts as Robbie entered the room. He surveyed the scene in front of him, and grinned when his eyes fell on Cat, who stood up quickly. Robbie walked straight up to her, and took her hand, raising it to his lips. Cat blushed furiously, and turned her head down, too shy to look at him. Then Robbie turned to the other two females in the room. He nodded to Jade, "Miss West" he said by way of greeting and bowed to Tori, "Lady Vega"

"If I may, Lady Vega, I wish to ask you something" he said politely to Tori, grinning all the while.

"Mr Shapiro?" Tori asked, curious, but smiling all the same.

"Lady Vega, I am in love with Miss Valentine" The announcement hung in the air, filling the silence in the room. Cat's head whipped up to look at Robbie in bewilderment. Robbie paused, and looked directly into Cat's eyes as he continued "And I have been from the moment I first laid eyes on her"

"I see" Tori said, with a smile. She glanced at Jade, who winked.

Robbie returned his attention to Tori, "I would ask for your permission, as my employer, to pursue my courtship of Miss Valentine" he finished, pulling Cat closer to him.

"You are a wonderful head of staff, Mr Shapiro. You are imaginative, organised, forceful and authoritative. I wonder, if I said no, would that really stop you from pursuing Cat?" Tori asked. She was genuinely curious. This was a measure of how much Robbie loved Cat.

Cat looked down again, blushing some more, her brows furrowed as she waited for Robbie's answer. Robbie placed his hand under Cat's chin, and tilted her head upwards. Staring into Cat's eyes, he answered Tori, "No, Lady Vega, it would not"

Cat beamed the brightest smile Tori had ever seen her smile, and Robbie answered with a grin.

"Well, saying no won't really serve any kind of purpose, now, will it?" Tori laughed, "You have my family's permission, Mr Shapiro. I will inform my parents"

Cat jumped on Robbie, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him. Jade groaned and looked away, rolling her eyes but smiling all the same. Tori meanwhile felt a stab of envy. Cat had it so easy with her romance. There she was, in the embrace of the man she loved, without any care of what others might say, or any fear of consequences. Tori knew that she and Beck wouldn't be able to have that. She knew it...but she still didn't care.

* * *

Beck and Andre were in the barn again, relaxing after just spending the morning trimming the hedges on the field. The whole thing had taken them three hours, and the heat had only made things more difficult. Andre had taken his shirt off as soon as they got into the barn, and Beck had opted for opening the first few buttons of his shirt and rolling up the sleeves.

"Damn, that was hot" Andre said, as he sat down on the bale of hay opposite Beck. He offered Beck one of the two cups of water in his hand. Beck took it gratefully, and downed it in one go. He felt instant relief as the cold liquid coursed down his parched throat, satiating his thirst.

"So, Lady Vega was the girl you saved huh?" Andre said, referring to the story Beck had told him earlier, "That's heavy"

"Yeah, came as shock to me too" Beck shrugged.

"Yeah...bet you never saw this coming" Andre grinned, "Course of true love never did run smooth, man"

"Yeah. Wish it could be easy, like with you and Jade" Beck said truthfully.

Andre burst into laughter, "Easy? Have you met Jade? You ain't gonna find a more challenging girl than her"

"I beg to differ" Beck grinned, thinking of Tori.

Suddenly, the door to the barn opened, and the two girls they were just talking about entered the room. Andre put his shirt on as the girls walked up to them.

"Lady Vega" Andre said, nodding to Tori, "Jade"

"Andre" Tori smiled at him. Then her eyes turned to Beck, who grinned at her. Tori blushed and smiled back at him, remembering their kiss. Jade glanced at Tori and Beck and rolled her eyes,

"Come on, Andre. I need your help in the kitchen with something" she said, grabbing Andre's hand and pulling him up. Andre shot Beck an "I told you so" look as Jade dragged him out of the barn.

Beck stood up, grinning at Tori as she walked up to him, and kissed him deeply.

Beck was still grinning as they separated, "Oh good, so last night wasn't a mistake"

"You were worried that it was?" Tori asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kind of. I was a little worried that you would wake up this morning and be all, "Oh, no! I kissed a lowly stable boy last night"" Beck said in a high pitched tone. Tori smacked him on the arm for his impression of her voice. "So" he said, "Jade knows about us?"

"She does. But it's alright, she won't tell anyone"

"You're on the same page then? That it's best if-"

"We keep this a secret? Yes, I think so" Tori finished for him.

"Good...what are you doing tonight?" Beck asked, grinning as an idea came to him.

Tori thought for a moment. She had no plans tonight, "Nothing"

"You do now. We're going on a date!" Beck announced.

"A date? Didn't we just decide to keep this a secret?" Tori asked, confused at his suggestion. What if someone saw them?

"We did" Beck confirmed, "Which is why this date is going to be at eleven o clock tonight, right here on the estate"

"O...K" she said, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"I'll meet you here, at eleven tonight, and we'll go. I'll show you the place that Wilson always takes the all the mares on his dates" Beck winked at her. Tori laughed.

"Alright then. Tonight at eleven" she said, leaning up and kissing him again.

* * *

The night came quickly, to Tori and Beck's delight. Beck had looked through his clothes, and found that he didn't have anything that wasn't suited to work and didn't look battered and worn. He decided, in the end on a white shirt, with his usual style of rolling the sleeves up. He felt a brief flush of embarrassment that it was all he had to wear to a date. No doubt the men who had courted Tori in the past had smart, expensive looking clothes to wear when they took her out, and here he was, with a shirt and trousers.

He shrugged away the unwelcome thought. Tori was _his_ date tonight, and that was all that was important. There was nothing to be gained from competing with her past suitors.

He made his across the field at quarter to eleven, eager for his night with Tori to begin. When he opened the door to the barn, he found her already there. She was sat on a bale of hay, and reading Beck's novel. He stopped for a moment and marvelled at how she managed to look so beautiful doing nothing more than reading a book.

"Enjoying the book?" he asked, approaching her with a raised eyebrow. She jumped at the sound of his voice, then looked up from the book and smiled.

"It's wonderful" she replied, closing the book and standing up.

"You look beautiful" he said, gazing at her dark blue dress and high gloves.

"You don't look so bad yourself" she giggled, blushing at his words.

"Are you ready to go?" Beck asked, extending his hand. Beaming brightly at him, Tori took it.

"Whoo!" Beck shouted, as Wilson leaped and bounded through every obstacle in his way. He felt his abdomen constrict as Tori tightened her hold on him. He laughed, glancing back at her. "How are you doing?" he yelled over the rush of wind in their ears.

"Fine! But he's going really fast!" she yelled back, laughing.

"It's alright, he knows where we're going!" Beck assured her, as Wilson jumped another log.

Ten minutes later, Wilson burst into the clearing, and Tori and Beck both climbed off of him.

"That was...exciting" Tori said, trying to fix her hair. It was terribly windswept, and all over the place. Her cheeks were a little flushed from the excitement of the ride. "What is it?" she asked, noticing Beck staring at her.

"Nothing...you're just very beautiful" Beck explained with a grin.

"Oh" she said, blushing even more.

"Well...this is the place" Beck announced, gesturing to the clearing around them. Tori's eyes widened as she took in the scene in front of them. The lake in directly in front of the clearing was clear as day, and in it, the stars and the moon in the night sky were perfectly reflected. The trees and bushes that lined the edge of the clearing created a charmingly intimate effect and the sounds of crickets and the gentle rush of water from nearby streams serenaded the night.

"This place is amazing" Tori said in awe. Beck laughed at her stunned expression, and left her to gaze at the surroundings. He walked to Wilson's side and pulled out a picnic blanket from his saddle bag, along with the wrapped sandwiches he had brought.

"Ready?" he asked, walking back to Tori.

"For what?" she asked, returning her attention to him with a smile.

Beck held up the sandwiches, "For our date" he grinned at her.

"A midnight picnic, huh?" she asked, laughing, "You're trying very hard"

"You're worth it" Beck replied, looking at her directly in her eyes. Tori smiled and blushed as Beck spread out the picnic blanket, and placed the sandwiches down.

"So, how did you find this place?" Tori asked curiously.

"Wilson took me here. It's the place that helps set the mood for his dates with the mares. Isn't that right, Will?" Beck grinned over his shoulder. Wilson gave a dismissive snort, and Tori laughed at them both.

When she settled, Tori again found herself marvelling at the beauty of the clearing. As she stared at the scene, Beck found himself staring at her. He was entranced by the simple beauty she possessed, even now gazing at a lake in the middle of a clearing. She was gorgeous in everything she did. She looked like something out of a dream, the sweetest dream any man had ever had. Like a creature of magic, her beauty was something out of their world.

 _A girl like that deserves someone who could give her the world...not a poor stable boy_.

The bitter thought came unbidden in to Beck's mind, and he couldn't shake it once it did. What was he really doing here, with her? There was nothing he had to offer her. He couldn't give her the life she was used to living. And what was the alternative? Ask her to run away with him? Ask her to leave her life of wealth and comfort to live in his world of work and toil? No. He would never allow that. To invite Tori into his world would be like taking a perfect diamond, and dropping it into the deepest mud. The thought repulsed him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tori asked, looking up at him from underneath her long eyelashes. "You're frowning" she pointed out, "What is it you're thinking about?"

Yes, perhaps he should tell her his fears. If she decided that she didn't want him because of his status, he could never blame her. But it was better to hear it now than later.

"The future" he sighed, pulling up his knees and resting his elbows on them. "Tori" he continued, "I'm a poor man. I don't own any land, or livestock. We're so different, and you could do so much better than a poor man who has nothing. I don't have anything to offer you..." he said, looking away from her. He hated that he had nothing that he could give her. The knowledge burned inside him.

Then he felt Tori's gloved hand being placed on his cheek, and she turned his face back to face her. She looked deep into his eyes as she spoke.

"I don't care about any of that. You won my heart on the day you saved my life. Since then, you've been my hero." Beck's eyes widened, and his heart felt like it would burst in happiness. Her words were the realisation of a dream he had never knew he had, but was now more important thing to him. But the feeling of happiness was dampened, when the thought of his mother resurfaced.

"It isn't just that. There are...responsibilities that I have" Beck said, looking at the ground.

"Responsibilities?" Tori asked with a confused frown.

"It isn't anything you need to worry about" Beck assured her, "It's just...it means that I can't afford to lose this job. It's too important"

"I know that, Beck" Tori said gently, "I don't want you to lose your job, either. So, we'll just have to be...sneaky." Beck couldn't help but laugh at her choice of adjective, and he instantly felt relieved. Only Tori could make him laugh when his mind was clouded with concerns and worry. She seemed to possess an ability to make him feel better, just by being herself.

"Then we'll be sneaky" he conceded, looking at her with a smile.

"Beck" Tori said, "Don't worry about the future. Don't worry about your job, or about my parents. And above all else, don't ever worry that you aren't good enough for me. Just stop worrying about everything, and be in the now. Does that sound good?"

Beck laughed again, and leaned in to kiss her gently, "It sound's perfect"

* * *

The morning after her date with Beck, Tory found herself struggling to concentrate on anything. Her thoughts always drifted back, in one form or another, to Beck, and she would blush whenever she thought of him. The way he made her feel was totally alien to her, and she loved it.

"Hmmm, somehing's got you in a good mood" Jade said, with a knowing smile. She took a sip of her tea, and stared at Tori with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Tori said, trying and failing to conceal her seemingly permanant smile.

"Honestly, it's like you're a teenager and he's your first love" Jade chuckled.

"Well...aren't you that way with Andre?" Tori asked, with a felt an immense satisfaction as Jade's eyes widened in surprise, and her face reddened.

"T-that's totally different!" she said, defensively, "We aren't all ga-ga over each other all the time."

"You should be. _You_ don't have anything to worry about. If my mother suspects, ever for a minute, that Beck and I are-"

"I know...stable boy's job goes down the drain" Jade nodded. "But you know" she grinned micheviously, "It's fun keeping it a secret, don't you think? Keeps everthing exciting"

"I don't know if I'd call it that" Tori said.

She finished her tea, and Jade brushed her out of the kitchen and began her work for the morning. Tori decided to read her book for a while, and was on her way up the stairs when she noticed the scene in the hall. She watched in total shock and disbelief as her mother stood by the door, hugging Richard and welcoming him warmly into their home...


End file.
